Process of charging beer.



0. M. LAMSENS.

PROCESS OF CHARGING BEER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1912.

. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Snow W91 Oscar/W Z/amsems,

O. M. LAMSENS.

PROCESS OF CHARGING BEER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1912.

1, ]]L 3 1 Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Oscar) Jaime/ 1.5,,

. therein to ing the charging process.

lIl it rnocEss or ermncme BEER.

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Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented a t. at, leis;

Application filed May 20, 1912. Serial 'IlTo. 698,582.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OsoAR M. LAMsEns, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and-State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Charging Beer, of which the following is a specification,

' the accompanying drawings. in carbonating or charging beer the amountof gas absorbed depends not only upon the pressure and temperatureof'the beer and its chemical properties, the latter being substantiallyconstant in' any one certain' beer, but also upon the physical condi--tion of the beer, that is, upon the degree of rest or motion among theparticles comprising the-whole body of beer under treatment. Thus thebeer may be in a quiescent or gently agitated state or in a violentlydisturbed' condition during the process of charging. This physicalcondition during this time is largely the result of the method ofcharging. The degree of saturation, other conditions being equal, variesinversely with the extent or amount of agitation dur- The facility withwhich the absorption i accomplished is efl'ected largely by the amountof contact surface between the liquid and gas, or upon the degree ofintimacy with which they may be commingled. The more minute theparticles into which the bodies or one of them is divided, the greateris the area of contacting surfaces. This last fact has long beenutilized in the usual processes for charging beer whereby the latter-isfinely divided into spray and passed through or introduced into thecharging gas. This process of charging besides being more or lessuncertain in its-results requires an expensive apparatus, the operationof which is attended y expense for labor, maintenance and investrnent'of considerable capitali Furthermore, this operation subjects the beerto most violent agitation in which condition it is least adaptedvto besaturated with gas. As the desired degree of saturation in (a body ofbeer must be attained by such process in the comparatively short timeconsumed in Jmoving the 'beer' from one tank to an other, the amount ofgas absorbed during this time, is far greater than that which is givenofiby the fermenting or'krausenfbeer during the same time, and thus, ifthe gases reference being had of fermentation are to be used, the lattermust be collected as given off and stored under pressure, and then, whena suficient phere of the gas'or through a column of gas moving in theopposite direction to the flow of the beer. Thus the gases offermentation together with the volatile, aromatic ethers and oils whichmake up the aroma or flavor of the beer are'not forced into the stillbeer in a nascent condition. Consequently the bouquet is lost and acertain liquid of condensation, which is very deleterious in its effectupon the beer, results, which may be carried over into the beer and ifso, imparts thereto a very distinct and disagreeable odor. l

Where the brewing is conducted on a large scale the charging in theordinary way not only consumes time but necessitates the expense ofpumping or otherwise moving 'krau sen beer directly into the still beer,and

confining thecommingled liquids until the entire body is charged. Thismakes the beer cloudy and necessitates refiltering. I

This invention relates to a process of charging beer whereby thenecessity of moving or pumping large quantities of still beer isobviated whereby danger from explosion is avoided; and whereby the gasesof fermenting beer, together with the ethers and volatile oilsaredirectly introduced into still beer while they are nascent, so that thefull aroma and other desirable qualities of such gases and concomitantsare fully preserved and-the quality of the charged beer greatlyenhanced" thereby. The invention also includes means for carrying outthis process whereby the beer is charged autos matically without the useof compressors, charging tanks or the like, and whereby any closedreceptacle in which the beer may be momentarily placed for settling isutilized for charging, provided of coiirse, that such receptacle be soconstructed as to stand the necessary pressure; The process 'isalso'conducted without disturbing the beer, which is thus in best conditionfor thorough saturation;

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the-drawings, Figure 1 is a view largely diagrammatic and inelevation, showing a charging and storage system whereby the processthat involves the invention may be readily carried out; and Fig. 2 is a.view in detail of a portion of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawingsva series of tanks 1, 2 and 3, for example, arearranged in the usual manner for storing and settling beer. The tank 1may be filled with fermenting or krausen beer while the remaining tanks,which may be chip casks or settling vats, are filled with fullyfermented s'till .beer. 'A suitable fitting 2 introduced in the top ofthe tank 1 is provided with a safety blow-oft valve 3 of any preferredtype and a gage 4 for indicating the pressure. A controlling valve 5 isadapted to receive afiflexible pressure hose 6 or like connectionwhereby the gases of fermentation from the tank may be led to anyconvenient pipe line 7 or the like.

A fitting 8 corresponding to the fitting 2 is introduced into the upperportion of each of the other tanks and is adapted when open to allow theadmission of apipe or tube 9 terminating in a charging nozzle 10. Thelatter is preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder connected to thepipe 9 at its iImer end and closed at the outer end, the wall of thecylinder being porous to allow gas entering the cylinder under pressureto escape therefrom in fine bubbles. At the upper end a valve 11 issecured to the pipe 9 for controlling flow through the latter and aflexible connection 12 is used to couple the valve with the pump pipe 7.I It is to be understood that the pipe 7 or a PIPE. system representedby the pie 7 is extended through the brewery in such manner that thecharging nozzles may be connected thereto at any convenient point andintroduced into any tank in which still beer is stored. It is also to beunderstood that where the tanks are of'considerable length two or moreof these nozzles may be introduced at intervals if desired.

In operation, the gases of the fermenting or krausen beer are allowed toaccumulate until a predetermined natural head or pressure is reached inthe fermenting tank sufficient to drive the gases into the liquor to becharged, and thereafter they are directed through the pipe system andnozzlesinto the tanks of still beer wherever they maybe and the chargingnozzles so finely disseminate the escaping gases through the beer inwhich the nozzles are submerged that the liquid becomes evenly chargedup to its limit of absorption, any excess escaping through a suitablydisposed relief valve in the tank.

One result of this method is the even charging of large quantities ofbeer withoutthe necessity of moving the beer or of placing it inespecially prepared tanks or casks. Another result is the fact that thefull aroma or bouquet of the fermenting beer is preserved as the gasesare not subjected to artificial compressionand are not unduly agitatedas is the case where they pass through a mechanical compressor andconsequently-are liberated into the still" beer while they and ture ofthe expense. being theinstallation of the proper distributing pipes towhich may be' added the slight cost of the charging nozzles. The'latterdd not per 86 form .a feature of this invention and are notparticularly described or claimed herein further than as nozzles adaptedtointroduce gas in a'finely divided state into the-liquid in which thenozzlesare submerged. T. T

Obviously, changes 'in the details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the'spirit of the invention and I do not care to-limitmyself to any particular form or arrangement of'parts. I claim: v

1. The process of charging beer which consists in introducing the gases,ethers and other like concomitants-given ofifby beer confined in thefermenting tanks ordinarily used in the process ofnbrewing into stillbeer while the latter'is confined in, the chip or settling tanks iisedordinarily in brewing process in such manner-that the gases, ethers andother concomitants'areI forced' by the natural pressure of fermentationin the formenting tank and are. very finely divided and diffusedthroughout the body of the still beer at the point of introductionthereto into the body of still beer. Q v.

2. The process of charging beer during thebrewing thereofby utihzationof the various fermenting, settling and chip casks in which the beer isconfined at times during the brewing which consist in forcing by thenatural pressure of fermentation the gases, ether. and.othereconcomitants given off-by the 'Working'beer confined in any of theformenting tanks into the still beer confined in 1,137,1ee swam;

any of the settling and chip tanks and casks In testimony vthereef afixmy signature and in finely dividing and difiusing the in presence of twoWitnesses.

gases, ethers and other concomitants at the OSCAR M. LSENS. point ofliberation into the body of the still Witnesses: 5 beer whereby the beerbecomes charged to ANNA M. Donn,

' the point of saturation thereby. CHAS. W. STAnFFIeER.

